The Woman in the Restaurant
by DiamondSparkle199
Summary: When members of the Jeffersonian receive suspicious invites to a new restaurant, Brennan is reluctant to go. But when she is poisoned everyone is on high alert for an elusive killer, that will stop at nothing to silence the Jeffersonian's prized worker.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1: Invite

Dr Temperance Brennan sat at her computer in her office at the Jeffersonian, trying to move past her writers block and progress with her current novel. She looked up slightly when her FBI partner Special Agent Seeley Booth walked in.

"Bones, have you checked your mail lately?" Booth said, he held up a white envelope, with his name typed on the front.

"No." Brennan's eyes moved to the pile of mail on her desk, and she reluctantly moved away from her computer to sort through it.

Booth stood at her desk waiting patiently for his partner to find the envelope, Booth knew she had.

"Here what is the importance of the envelope Booth?" Brennan looked at her partner, expecting a good answer.

"Open it and read it aloud" Booth said with some satisfaction, hoping Brennan would find the letter explanatory enough.

Brennan opened the envelope, cleared her throat and started reading:

"_Dear Dr Temperance Brennan,_

_We are pleased to inform you, on behalf of the D.C Police Department, you have received a free complimentary dinner at the new Restaurant, Opaque, for your continuous efforts with the help of your co-workers at keeping killers off the streets. The dinner is ready when you and your co-workers are!_

_Sincerely,_

_D.C Police"_

"Isn't that nice?" Booth said.

"It's completely irrational. We are hardly involved with the police in our cases, and how would the Police know what co-workers help us with our cases? It has to be a set-up Booth" Brennan finished.

"C'mon Bones, relax, come to restaurant with everyone tonight" Booth replied.

"Booth you're the one who has always told me to be on the lookout for anything that could be a trap, and who is everyone?" Brennan argued, she knew something was off about this invite.

"Everyone is Angela, Hodgins, Cam, you and myself. And I know it sounds fishy, but what's the worse that could happen?" Booth said.

Brennan looked about to rattle off a whole list of things, but Booth stopped her, "It'll be fun, please?"

"Okay" Brennan mumbled, not liking this one bit.

Later that day, Angela, Hodgins, Cam, Booth and Brennan were standing just inside of Opaque, waiting to be shown to a table.

"This is fancy" Angela said, surprised at the ornately decorated restaurant around them.

"Yeah it is, hey Bones?" Booth replied, nudging Brennan on the shoulder.

Brennan was just busy looking around the room, for any sign of bombs or suspicious looking traps.

"Stop worrying its fine" Booth whispered.

"You never know Booth, one minute you could be opening a fridge, and next it could be exploding on you" Brennan replied, indicating an earlier case in which this exact scenario had happened to Booth.

Suddenly a smartly dressed waiter came over and interrupted their argument.

"You must be from the Jeffersonian, there's a table for you this way" the waiter gestured, for the group to follow him and lead them to a quiet table in the corner.

The table they were lead to, was fit to seat all five of them, it was quiet and had candles in a line along the middle. Brennan started to walk toward one of the seats at the table, one of the side ones, but the waiter interrupted her.

"Oh, no Dr Brennan, your seats here" the waiter walked toward the head of the table, and pulled out a chair for Brennan.

"Oh no really I couldn't" Brennan replied, she hated being made a fuss of.

"Please I insist" the waiter said, and Brennan took an instant dislike to this pushy waiter.

"If you insist" Brennan walked to the head of the table, and sat down.

Everybody else took their seats, and Brennan was surprised there wasn't a specific place for them as well.

"Everybody enjoy the wine, and I will be back shortly to take orders" the waiter walked away toward the kitchen, Brennan glaring steely eyes after him.

"Drink up everybody, oh wait a toast" Booth said, raising his glass.

"To us" Cam joined, raising her glass as well. Angela and Hodgins joined, and Brennan reluctantly followed suit.

After that Brennan took a slow sip of her wine, instantly suspicious of the tangy metallic taste.

"Does this wine taste funny to you?" Brennan asked Booth.

"I don't know about you, Bones but this wine tastes beautiful" Booth said and Brennan slowly set her glass down, vowing not to drink anymore. But before she could even get another word out, Brennan launched into a horrendous coughing fit, grabbing a napkin from around the cutlery.

"Hey you okay there, Bones?" Booth said, placing a hand on her shoulder, instantly worried for his partner.

Brennan didn't say anything, but drew back the napkin silently. On it were blood stains…


	2. Chapter 2

**Cry5tal8ee here! sorry haven't updated in idk how long! thanku to everyone who favourited, reviewed and clicked the little alert box you guys make my day! I guess i just had some stuff going on and needed to clear my head a bit but im back! so please review no flames im really sorry but if you're patient tolerant and awesum you will hopefully appreciate the new chapter!by the way this story didnt happen on its own half the credit to this wonderful creation goes to my bestie kayla! (or gleek fan no 1) who sat with me through torturous hours of french to make this story what it is! so please feel free to visit her profile and pm her or something she deserves it... and another request have any of you heard of the devouring by simon holt? i asked the readers of my ghost whisperer fic and i will ask you im thinking of publishing a ten page (almost 11) fic im writing but theres no category for the devouring i want to make one but also have readers please pm me if you have heard of this wonderful book or have some other questions anyway enough of my LONG A/N please enjoy another update soon! (i mean it this time lol) :)**

**Disclaimer- i do not own Bones. It belongs to fox and that hanson guy :P**

Chapter 2

For a while Brennan just stared at the napkin, curiosity overwhelming alarm.

"Bones?" Booth was looking at his partner worriedly, concern filling his eyes.

"Booth…" Brennan said softly, passing Booth the napkin silently.

"Shit." Booth said, looking now at Brennan's paled and sweaty face, now understanding the reason.

"Booth, everything ok man?" Hodgins asked, every pair of eyes on the table drawn to Booth and Brennan who was staring shocked at her fingers, which had crimson dots on them from when she'd coughed into her hands.

"Bren?" Angela asked slowly, aware that Hodgins wasn't getting a word out of Booth and that the pair were eerily silent, to the point of worry.

"The wine." Brennan managed to get out before, she went into a horrendous coughing fit, blood spilling onto a fresh napkin Booth hastily handed her.

"Oh god." Angela said, seeing the red seep through the napkin, as Brennan coughed.

"The wine's been spiked, you have to get Dr. B to a hospital now Booth." Hodgins said urgently, as Cam who had been silent till now gasped.

"I'll help" Angela started to say but was interrupted by Brennan.

"Angela its fine, Booth can take me" Brennan choked out, standing slowly, followed in quick succession by Booth.

"I'm sure it'll be fine Ange" Booth said, his face a stony mask, showing everyone that his words were a lie.

"Booth…" Brennan half whispered, as she swayed dizzily. Booth quickly grabbed her shoulders as his partner collapsed into him.

"Guys you should both go now, Brennan needs help." Cam said, superiority in her voice.

"Yeah guys Cam's right, I really gotta take Bones to a hospital, I'll call you when I get there." Booth said, as he carried Brennan bridal-style out of the restaurant.

A few minutes later the pair were hurriedly driving toward the nearest hospital. Brennan had a layer of sweat on her face and seemed delirious, her mutterings full of traumatic events. Booth glanced worriedly at her every spare second, not giving a damn that he was well over the speed limit.

"Booth…" Brennan said softly, her words barely audible.

"Yeah, baby, what is it?" Booth replied, tenderness in every word, as well as a guilt, a gut wrenching guilt, that he'd let this happen.

"I'm scared…" Once again the words were hard to make out, but Booth was sure he'd heard them correct. Scared. Temperance Brennan was scared, the girl who could compartmentalise the things that should make anyone catatonic, was scared.

These words scared Booth, right to the core, as in a way this was his fault. He'd been too stupid. His Bones wasn't just anyone. A mysterious typed invitation, to a mysterious new restaurant, was more than likely a trap. He should have seen it, he should have been more aware, but for some reason he'd wanted a normal outing with his friends, although he should've known, they weren't normal, they were targets for many criminals.

Though as angry as Booth was he tried to make every word come out with the obvious love (to everyone except Brennan of course) he felt for her. "It's ok, Bones I'll make sure you're safe, I'll take care of you."

Booth watched as Brennan slowly fell unconscious, his worry and guilt for her increasing every second.

Booth breathed a sigh of relief as he saw the lights of the George Washington Memorial Hospital up ahead. He parked the car in a no-parking zone, and got out running around to the passenger side and slowly lifting out Brennan.

"Booth…" Brennan muttered, her face set in a frown, as Booth started jogging to the emergency entrance.

"Almost there Bones, almost there" Booth said, more to himself than the woman in his arms.

As Booth burst through the emergency doors all eyes in the waiting room were on him. Brennan had coughed more as Booth had run, and blood was now speckling his shirt. Two nurses quickly ran up to the pair, and Booth was reluctant to put Brennan on the gurney they'd wheeled out for her. She was clutching tightly to him, her knuckles white and pupils the size of saucepans as she stared with worried eyes at Booth.

"Booth please, don't let them take me I'm fine." Brennan practically yelled, clutching tighter to Booth as the nurses tried to loosen her grip.

"No Bones, you're not fine. Let them make you better ok?" Booth spoke to her softly and quietly, like he might do to a reluctant child.

Brennan nodding her head slowly, let the nurses pull her arms off her saviour and lay her on the gurney, tears sparkling in her eyes. Booth, at the sight of this, cried a single tear. Which ran down his cheek and splashed on the linoleum, almost as silently as it occurred; the tear was one of guilt, one of anger and one of pity, as he watched the nurses take his Bones away.


	3. Chapter 3

**Cry5tal8ee here! Hey look new chapter! sorry, sorry i know it's short don't have all the time in the world at the moment and wouldve updated sooner but ive been a busy 8ee! (bee!) lol. so umm if your wondering when this is set for all those Hannah haters out there, this is set in the 5th season so no Hannah (i honestly dont see why you hate her). By the way im not very technical when it comes to the type of poison so im making it up the symptoms too. If anyone has objections PM me and give me some ideas for some real poisons with bad affects or something. Anyway enjoy the chapter and dont forget to review more soon! :D Bones season 5 out on tv sunday! (i live in Aus. =])**

Chapter 3

Angela stood there shocked, she was terrified for her friend. Hodgins was intently studying the wine and Cam was staring at the bloody napkin. Everyone seemed to want to occupy their minds with something, as the most current thought that loomed on everyones mind, was a harsh reality of what had just happened.

It was Cam who broke the silence, "We need to do something, we can't just sit here."

"I can't seem to place the poison used in Brennan's drink. I haven't seen it before" Hodgins said, his voice an expressionless monotone.

Everyone was silent for a while until the shrill tone of Angela's mobile broke the silence. Angela ripped it out of her handbag, glanced at the caller I.D and had it pressed to her ear in the time span of five seconds.

"Booth?" Angela said, her voice wary about what she might find out in this phone call.

"Angela, how's everyone?" Booth replied, his voice lacking the bubbly happiness from earlier in the night, and laden heavily with gut-wrenching sadness and guilt.

"Not doing so good" Angela took a quick glance back at Hodgins and Cam from where she'd walked to the corner, who were staring at her longingly waiting for answers, "How's Bren?"

"I don't know Ange, they just took her away" Booth said the hopelessness of the event taking it's toll.

"She's gonna be ohk Booth, Bren's a fighter." Angela replied trying to muster every bit of hope she had into those few words.

"I sure hope so Ange… Here's a doctor call you later" Booth said quickly hanging up, and leaving Angela in the pit of desperation she was currently in.

**(Insert Break Line Here)**

Booth got up from the uncomfortable plastic waiting chair he'd been sitting in, and turned to face the doctor, who was looking at him with hollow eyes.

"How is she Doc?" Booth said to the doctor, hoping what Angela said was true. That Bones was a fighter and she was going to be ohk.

"She's stable. That's all we can hope for right now, she's also very weak and it might take a while before she regains consciousness. Are you her husband?" The doctor asked Booth.

"Yes I am." Booth lied, hoping this meant he would be able to stay by Brennan every second.

"Very well." The doctor sighed, "Follow me."

Booth's footsteps were slow and heavy with tiredness and hopelessness as he followed to doctor to Brennan's room; All the while hoping his partner was going to be ohk.

"She's right here." The doctor pushed open the door for Booth, as Booth stepped inside and went to sit in the chair beside his partner's bed. The doctor left, and Booth was able to get a look at the state Brennan was in. What he saw shocked him.

Brennan was as pale as the sheets around her, the only spark of colour being the dark red of her hair, as it came to rest just on top of her shoulders, brushing the Brennan's lips delicately. Booth pushed the hair back behind her ears, and took her hand, noticing that although they'd tried, the sheen of sweat was still sticking to Brennan's face.

Booth fingers intertwined in his partner's and, although he was what Brennan would call an alpha-male or one of 'those guys', Booth wasn't shocked to see hot, salty tears hitting the combination of soft and calloused skin. Booth cried for everything, for Brennan silently fighting her battle, for letting this happen to her, for watching her lie here in this bed, knowing there was nothing he could do to help her. And underneath all the sadness, the guilt and the pure hopelessness he felt, Booth was angry, at that waiter who'd probably been in on it, knowing what was going on, but probably too much of a bastard to care how it would affect everyone else.

Outside the hospital room the doctor and a nurse passing by, stopped to look into the window at the husband crying for his wife, and the blank look on his wife's face as she lay with her eyes delicately closed, oblivious to everything around her.

**Oh Sweets will be mentioned later :) thought i'd mention that. Still sorry its short, its daylight saving and a school night so time seems to slip away :( Please review!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Hello I'm back! I recently got a new laptop for school, so im able to write on the go, which means updates will be much more frequent! (Reviewing helps too) I will try to update a least once a week i am very sorry i have been slack :( please enjoy the chapter (comment on the story not my lack of updating) :) Thanks!**

Chapter 4

Booth was still at his partner's bedside, long after visiting hours were over. A few grouchy nurses told him to leave, but Booth flat out refused, he was going to be there when Bones woke up. He'd already let this happen, he wouldn't let himself think to leave, if it meant she would wake up in a room that was not her own, confused, scared and feeling sick; all without a hand to hold, arms to collapse in.

Booth's shrill ringtone cut him out of his reverie; he hastily checked the caller i.d. Angela.

"Yeah Ange?" Booth answered his call rather wearily. All that had happened had left him emotionally, not to mention physically drained.

"Is Bren ohk? Look I'm going to come to hospital Booth. Knowing you, you haven't left Brennan's bedside since you were allowed in the room. Besides I think you need a shoulder to lean on." Angela replied worried for her best friend, as well as for Booth.

"Yeah, ohk thanks." Booth said before he hung up.

It always amazed him that the woman, who couldn't stand the sight of gore, was the strongest of any of them when it came to emotional hills. He looked to Bones in her bed. It had only been an hour, but she didn't look the slightest bit improved. He grimaced at the thought of having to tell Max, her father, and Russ, her brother, that he hadn't been observant enough of her, that he went along with it despite her pleas that he let this happen.

Booth's head perked up once again, when he heard the radical beeping of one of the machines next to Brennan's bed.

"Um, a little help in here!" Booth yelled out the door, he had no idea what the beeping was, but that type of beeping didn't sound perfectly normal to him.

One of the grouchy, tired looking nurses hurried in, a clipboard in hand. She heard the beeping and looked to Booth.

"When did this start?" she asked in a snappy, irritated voice.

"A few seconds ago" Booth replied, he felt a little offended that this nurse thought he was dumb enough, to let a machine he felt was important, beep urgently and not tell someone right away. He was about to say so when the nurse started talking again.

"It's her heart rate. It's a bit high due to the trauma from surgery. I'll inject some anaesthetic to help calm her." The nurse said in a much calmer voice, maybe detecting the worry and anxiety in Booth's voice.

"Thank you. I appreciate it." Booth said to the nurse's retreating back as she hurried out of the room.

When the nurse re-entered Booth sat back in the chair by the window to give the nurse some space, but even Booth couldn't stay awake forever, by the time the nurse was done with the injection Booth had dozed off.

It was early into the D.C morning, the orange glow of the sunrise, lighting up Brennan's pale cheekbones, and Booth's sleeping figure. A particular slant in the venetian blinds caused Booth to squint around the room, (much like the Jeffersonian team) where his eyes finally rested on the beautiful figure, lying flat and straight, barely making a bump in the stiff hospital issued sheets.

He suddenly remembered all of last night: The crimson speckled napkin, the look of shock on his Bones' face, as she paled when she seen. The way he had hurriedly picked her up when she'd collapsed into him, fearing for her life as he ran to his car; Going way past the speed limit in a desperate attempt to get to the hospital in record time, stealing quick looks at the small, fragile looking woman next to him.

He looked at her now, struck still by her beauty, when suddenly there was a quiet tap at the door.

"Hey Booth." Angela whispered, although Booth wanted to remind her that she didn't need to whisper, that Brennan wasn't just sleeping he didn't. He concluded that this might be Angela's way of coping; of thinking that her best friend was just in a light slumber, and would wake up at the slightest sound. Not thinking that she was unconscious and on drugs to help with pain and possibly breathing.

"Angela." Booth replied in a soft voice, keeping up with his friend's charade.

"I brought some clothes for Brennan." Angela placed a stuffed duffel on another chair by Brennan's bed, then spoke again, "Sorry, I didn't wake you last night."

"What?" Booth was surprised, Angela had been here?

"Yeah, I came an hour after I called you, I was getting Brennan's things together, I came in here and you looked so tired, just slumped there sleeping. I said a few quick words to Brennan and left."

"Oh, I'm sorry, you could have woken me, I'm sure you're as stressed as me." Booth said, in the kindest tone he could manage, as he watched Angela close to tears, pick up one her friend's pale hands and bring it to her lips, kissing it softly then placing it back on the cold sheets.

"Yeah, I am I just can't believe this happened, any of it." Angela said quietly, her gaze far and distant as she replayed last night's events in her head.

"Did you bring coffee?" Booth nodded to the cardboard tray in Angela's shaking hand. He quickly took it off her before she could drop it and handed one to her, still warm.

"Thought you could use one." Was all she said, afterwards they sat quietly drinking their coffees in stony silence, watching the D.C sun rise up over a stale city of grey buildings.

It was later in the morning, the cardboard coffee cups sat empty on the small set of drawers beside Brennan's bed. When Angela stretched out of her uncomfortable position in the chair next to Booth and stood up.

"I'm going to call Hodgins; he said he wanted to come to the hospital." Angela stated a dull sound to her voice.

"Ok, Ange" Booth replied, taking a couple seconds to process the statement, he had been so out of it.

Booth watched Angela walk out of the room, cell phone in hand, he listened to the tap of her shoes grow distant, then he got up and moved the duffel from her chair beside her bed, sitting in it and taking his partner's hand in his own.

"You're going to be ok, beautiful." Booth said, to her lifeless form, kissing her hand lightly and letting the tears he had bottled up all morning, fall onto the white sheets.

**Please review! Brennan will wake up soon i'll make sure of it :) Another update soon!**


	5. Chapter 5

**It's 11:39pm and I'm on a mission to write you a long enough update so you'll forgive my sore updating skills. Hope you enjoy this one! Drop me a line….**

**~ Cry5tal8ee**

**Disclaimer- I do not own Bones. Seriously guys, you should have figured this out by now.**

**Chapter 5**

It was a little way into the afternoon before more visitors started arriving. It's not that they didn't love their boss, they just knew that Booth needed to be with her, and them hanging around wasn't going to change circumstances. So it was only possible that on this slow, grim afternoon when Hodgins, Angela and even Cam came to visit Brennan, somebody else appeared in the waiting room too.

"Booth" said a voice, Booth definitely recognised from the doorway of his partner's hospital room.

"Max?" Booth replied, his normally surprised voice at seeing Bones' father, reduced to a slow, weary formation of a syllable.

"Why didn't you tell me my daughter was in the god-forsaken hospital?" Max said angrily. His voice was soft, but it was indeed harsh.

Booth started thinking. Willing his mind to think of the simplest task of _why _he didn't call his partner's father, when she ended up in the hospital. Sure, he wasn't the most important person in her life (things between them were still a little cool) but Max was still her god damn _father_.

"I had to find out from Angela, my daughter's friend, that my Tempe was lying hooked up to a machine in a hospital!" Max growled. Booth could see he was angry, but words had dried up in his throat.

"Well?" Max had run out of steam and was waiting for an answer.

"I was shocked Max. I didn't know what I was doing. All that was in my mind was your daughter, was she going to be ok? Was she going to be in pain? I'm sorry I didn't call you, I should've; as soon as she was admitted, but well, other thoughts occupied my mind." Booth said softly. He really hoped this was a good enough explanation; it was sure what he felt at the time.

"Look, Booth. I can see you care for my daughter. I can't see why Temperance doesn't see what everyone else does: How much you care for her. I forgive you, though. Spur of the moment anger I guess; how's she doing?" Max sounded relieved. Maybe he was glad he'd gotten the anger off his chest.

"They seem to be starting some form of treatment. They hope she wakes up, they aren't so sure though." Booth stated, glad he gotten past Max's tyrant.

"That's-that's too bad." Brennan's father sounded grim, and the words he'd gotten out were soft, muffled, if you could say so full of disappointment. The could-be end of the small re-acquaintance he'd made with his daughter, because of some powder slipped into her drink.

"I'll be outside if you need me." Max quickly left the room; Booth just hoped he didn't take his sadness out on some criminal activity. The last thing he wanted to do was arrest Max.

"Booth?" Angela walked in, Hodgins pale and silent at her side.

"Booth?" Angela tried again, getting no word from the silent man by the bed.

"Booth, man you should go, you know. Get some rest, take a shower, have a break. This is taking its toll on you." Hodgins said, trying to get across to Booth that he was worrying them all. The endless guarding of his partner's bedside sucking him into a silent hell.

"I'm _not _leaving her Hodgins. I did this to her, I ignored her. I let this happen." Booth replied, he'd been over these feelings with himself a dozen times, they were haunting to him.

"Booth, the more you torture yourself with the absurd idea it was your fault the more it's going to hurt. You let yourself think that you did this to her and the great lot of use you're going to be, when she wakes up and all you are is a person racked by guilt. You're not the only one feeling hopeless Booth!" Hodgins was yelling now, not being silent and stony but being what only Max had the guts to be: angry.

Booth however, had been emotionally slapped in the face. He knew Hodgins was right, every word he said. And so he replied with a bit of sympathy, "I'm going to go home. Change, shower, come back when I've had some rest." And with that Booth stalked out of the room.

Angela and Hodgins didn't know what to think. Had they finally gotten through to him? Or was he angry and realised he was making them all upset? They didn't know and didn't want to find out. So instead they sat by Brennan's bedside and talked to her. About what was happening, how much they all cared. But after they'd been talking for an hour, there was still the melancholy beeping of machines ringing around the room.

Outside in the waiting room, Cam was sitting rigid. She had no work to get back to. Her people, even Booth, were too worried about Brennan. And with no staff there was nothing she could go back to. No distraction for all of them, even her.

"Cam?" a male voice asked from a few seats away.

Sweets was standing looking at her, his voice ringed with confusion.

"You didn't hear?" Cam sounded shocked. Of all people, she thought, she figured that Brennan and Booth's psychologist ought to know what had happened. God knows, she thought he would have a million _interpretations _for how Booth was feeling.

"Hear what?" Sweets asked, his forehead crinkling into a frown.

"Brennan was poisoned. Something slipped into her drink at a restaurant the other night. Booth was right there, he's been a wreck; me, Angela and Hodgins as well. We don't know what to do." Cam replied her voice hollow.

"Where's Booth now?" Sweets inquired.

"Oh he's gone home. He was incredibly devoted to staying at Brennan's bedside, but Hodgins talked, well, rather _yelled_ some sense into him." Cam looked at Sweets with a bit of confusion, "Hang on, what are _you_ doing here?"

"Patient." Sweets gestured down the hallway, seeming much closed off about the topic.

"Oh, ok." Cam knew enough in his voice, not to press the matter any further.

Cam and Sweets then sat in silence, each staring at the cracked wall across from them, painted a sickly off-white.

It was almost an hour later Booth walked back in. He'd changed, he looked cleaner the shadow of stubble on his chin gone.

"Sweets?" Booth said sounding a little shocked that the psychologist was sitting in the waiting room.

"I was visiting a patient, I seen Cam here. She filled me in." Sweets stated a note of disappointment hiding under his voice.

"Oh, right." Booth replied, sensing the silent deed he'd committed.

"Is there anything you would like discuss Booth?" Sweets asked as Booth started walking back to Brennan's hospital room.

"No, Sweets, nothing at all." Booth replied as he disappeared into her room.

When Booth entered Brennan's hospital room, he seen Angela and Hodgins still sitting by Brennan's bedside where he'd left them over two hours ago.

"Hodgins." Booth started to apologise but Hodgins interrupted.

"Look, Booth I didn't mean to snap at you, well to bite your head off really, but you really needed some sense talked into you." Hodgins stated a calm manner in his voice.

"It's ok Hodgins I understand what you were trying to say." Booth replied, a tone to his voice that the branch of conversational topic was closed.

"We've stayed by her bed the whole time." Angela said softly, wanting Booth to know that just like him, they never left her.

"Thanks guys, I appreciate it." Booth replied to the pair of retreating backs.

Booth picked up Brennan's hand in his, and kissed it softly like he always did when he sat down by her bed.

"Hey Bones. I really hope you wake up soon, everyone's worried about you, and we need you out here. Remember Bones we're the centre." Booth said.

He could almost picture Brennan saying, _it's irrational to speak to someone unconscious Booth, they can neither hear nor see you._

Booth sat staring at her pale complexion, lost in her auburn hair and porcelain skin, when he felt her hand squeeze his. It was a very light interaction, and Booth wasn't entirely sure he even felt it, but then there it was again.

"Bones?" Booth said softly, willing her still figure to reply.

And she did; A single word, soft, mumbled but audible. A single word that meant more to him then, than it ever had before.

"Booth?"

**Was that a good enough update? Oh, I hope so it took me the better part of an hour, late at night, in my crazy got-to-get-this-done self. I rather had fun writing this. So please drop me a line. I will try and update soon! Goodnight**

**~From a very tired, but proud of herself author. **


	6. Chapter 6

**Hey there! i had a bit of trouble writing this one and decided on using Brennan's POV (Point Of View) for the beginning of the chapter, because it gives a better insight on more of what _she's_ feeling rather than Booth being the focus. Anyway this is a bit shorter than normal, but bear with me (i was supposed to be doing homework). Please review, i swear those little speeches of acknowledgement seriously give me motivation to update, i mean why write if no-one reads right? Thanks to everyone else who favourited, suscribed/put me on alert it means a lot :)**

**~ Cry5tal8ee**

**P.S Check out a fic: alice. in .ink The Pawn in the Game... it's amazing! I'm totally hooked :) (had to use spaces between the dots in the username because of spellcheck)**

Chapter 6

**Brennan's POV**

I could hear a voice. That was the first thing that registered in my groggy mind. I forced my eyelids open, they felt heavy and leaden. Through my very blurry field of vision, I could see the distinctive shape of Booth. I couldn't make out his features, but I knew it was him. I could smell his aftershave and just the deep scent of, well, _him_. I also recognised his tone of voice, to me it was just a barely audible hum, the words themselves not taking full form in my brain.

Is this what normal people felt like? I wondered, but then thought, of course not. Most normal people, of average intelligence can at least hear and see properly. I said Booth's name. Well, I think I did, my mouth formed the shape of it, whether it was loud enough for him to hear or if it even left my lips, was a mystery to me.

This was _so _frustrating! Why wasn't my vision clearing? Of course I knew the answer to this, but my mind wasn't letting me form any justifiable conclusion, it was drunk on heavy medication. I said Booth's name again, tried to say it louder so maybe my own ears could hear. I heard a very short yell, was that _me?_ I didn't want to yell, I wanted him to hear me, I wanted to test my _own_ hearing.

I looked up to Booth's face again. It looked worried; I could now make out the crease of his forehead, his widened brown eyes. His mouth was moving quickly, I felt his rough hands caress my face. Maybe he was trying to calm me down.

_Yes, _I thought. I needed that, calming down. My vision was starting to clear up now, my mind discerning more than just a barely audible hum, until it started to make out mumbled words. I felt relieved I could _see_.

I looked around me. I even tried to lift my head I bit, to see over Booth, but I felt his hands pushing me back down onto the pillow. So instead I had to settle with just looking to the side of me. All I could see were white walls. No, they weren't white they were _off_-white, like the wall itself had been stuck out in the sun too long. On the small bedside table next to my head, I could make out the brightness of flowers, I couldn't specify the kind, my head was still spinning around too much.

"Bones?" It was Booth; my ears seemed to be functioning again.

"Booth?" I gasped, I could definitely hear properly, but my voice was cracked and broken.

"I'm going to get a nurse, ok?" He talked in a slow calmed voice, like I was a toddler. Maybe I really did yell before.

"It hurts…" Now I had my two main senses back online, I was also aware of the pain that plagued my body; Pins and needles that ran the length of my arms and legs, my torso, even my head.

It was like being stabbed with syringes, only these were not getting pulled out of my skin; they felt like they were sinking deeper into it, being embedded into tissue and muscle.

"I know baby" For once, I didn't frown at Booth's fonder term of endearment. There was an undertone to his voice that was laden with sympathy, guilt even.

But what had he to be guilty for? I tried to remember anything he had done recently. Then floods of images, actions came raining down into my head; A blood-stained napkin, rushed and frantic words, a speeding vehicle weaving through nightly D.C traffic. I was _poisoned_.

Maybe Booth thought it was _his_ fault? I try to remember any conversation we had shared that night, and recalled one rushed, urgent discussion: when we walked into the restaurant, me, confiding to Booth of my suspicions and doubts, and Booth, telling me to stop worrying and to try relaxing for the night. Did he possibly feel guilty for not taking my suspicions into account? I knew Booth; he was what I referred to as a protective alpha-male. So it was anyone's lucky guess as to why he looked at me with such sad, sorry eyes. He felt it was his entire fault that he didn't listen, and that I'd ended up on an uncomfortable hard mattress, with hospital-issued sheets.

I looked for Booth; he was no longer by my bedside, his warm hand no longer holding mine.

"Booth?" I realised I'd said his name a lot, but he was my attachment to the real world, when I was slowly waking from a haze of blurred memories, I _needed_ him.

"I told him to leave dear, you need to rest. I'm taking you off the heavier medication." A nurse with deep blue eyes and laugh lines said in a comforting voice.

I looked toward the door, where through the little glass window I could see Booth, looking at me with his soulful brown eyes, a protective instinct hiding underneath the first glance. I slipped back into the welcoming arms of unconsciousness, knowing that when I woke up again, Booth would be there.

**Third Person**

Booth looked at his beautiful partner through the door. She had gone back to sleep with a reassured look on her face, after finding his eyes locked on hers through the layer of wood and glass separating them.

He walked back out into the waiting room, where a nervous Angela was being comforted by Hodgins and Cam and Sweets were conversing about god-knows-what.

"She's awake" Booth's voice didn't bring with it a joyful tone, but rather a simple statement delivering the news that all of them had been aching to hear.

"Thank God" Angela breathed a sigh of relief, glad to hear her best friend had finally opened her eyes.

"You don't sound happy Booth. Anyone who's had an emotional experience like you would find this an immense relief." Sweets said from the corner of the room.

"Yeah Booth, Sweets is right, something's bothering you." Hodgins had also noticed Booth's behaviour.

"She's in so much pain." Booth replied. His voice was soft, guilty and full of anguish.

"She's out of the worst of it now, that's a good thing Booth." Angela got up and laid a comforting hand on Booth's tense shoulder.

"You should tell Max. He looked pretty crushed before." Cam said, trying to change the grim subject.

"Yeah I will do you know where he went?" Booth replied, eager for something else to do, to be the bearer of _happy _news.

"The cafeteria, I think." Sweets said, wanting to provide some helpful information that didn't involve Booth glaring at him.

Booth walked down the corridor toward the elevator, leaving his friends throwing worried looks at each other.

When Booth entered the cafeteria the first thing he noticed was the smell. It smelt of medication, freshly baked pies and all sorts of other foods. Booth walked toward the small cafeteria bakery. The faces he walked past looked sullen, grim. Some worried faces had mascara streaks running in lines down sharp angled cheek bones, comforting husbands had creased foreheads and small children were looking at their parents while quietly picking at their food.

"A piece of apple pie please" Booth said to the heavily made-up teenager working behind the counter.

"Coming right up." She replied, an eye-roll accompanying the required speech.

While waiting for his order Booth started to look around the cafeteria for Max, and saw him some way off in a dim corner of the cafeteria, drinking a cooling cup of coffee.

"Here ya go." The worker shoved the apple pie at Booth, a smirk on her face and turned to the next customer.

Booth joined Max at the small table, after weaving his way through more packed tables, and took his apple pie out of the paper bag. It looked unappetising, the pastry rubbery and the inside cold. Booth pushed it away from him, the paper rustling, and at this Brennan's father looked up from his coffee.

"How's my daughter?" Max said, his voice conveyed no happiness or sadness, just the type of tone a bored passenger on a subway might use to another.

"She's awake, Max." Booth felt proud to give this news to his partner's anguished father.

"Can I see her?" Max replied.

"She's asleep, the nurse sent me out so she could rest."

"Well, Mr I Won't Leave Her Side has finally agreed the listen to the nurses, why the change of heart?"

"She's in a lot of pain, and sleep seems to be the best thing for it, at least she's not aware of it then."

"Well, it's a step up from a few hours ago anyway." Max sounded optimistic, a small smile on his face, "Oh and by the way the food sucks."

Back in the waiting room, Angela was drinking water from the bubbling water cooler, Hodgins was sitting on a hard plastic chair, tapping his foot on the cracked linoleum and Cam was sitting quietly opposite them after Sweets had left to get coffee.

It was Cam's mobile that broke the awkward silence. She yanked out of her pocket and answered it's insistent ringing.

"Oh god, really?" Cam sounded worried, and this caused Angela and Hodgins to look at her.

"Ok, thank you." Cam hung up and looked grimly at Angela and Hodgins.

"It's Brennan's office."

**Hahaha cliffie! Please review and stuff :) Thanks!**


	7. Chapter 7

**Hey! I'm terrible i know! But ive been terribly busy: camp, catching up, tests, catching up again, more tests. But i've squeezed in some time, i know this is shorter than normal, but many of you wanted the cliffhanger answered, so here you go! p.s sorry for my bad delay! :/ **

Chapter 7

"What do you mean her office exploded?"

"I mean exactly what I'm telling you Seely, the bomb squad found a home-made bomb in Dr. Brennan's office." Cam tried to use a calm voice, but the FBI agent wasn't paying attention to the tone of voice, only what it was telling him.

"Oh god, she just woke up do you know that Camille? Now, she's going to be all worried, and wanting to help and that's not going to help her… at all!" Booth was fuming, pacing the waiting room, after Cam had called Booth with urgency to meet him there.

"Wait, so her office is in bits?" Max was still struggling to understand exactly what had happened.

"Well actually it's in chunks and smoldering pieces…" Cam replied sheepishly.

Max now had an even deeper frown on his face. When they'd received a rushed phone call from Cam, Booth had wasted no time in rushing Max toward the elevator, and fiercely jabbing the correct button until Max was afraid Booth would break it. They had run into the waiting room to see Cam nervously clutching her mobile and Hodgins and Angela both with pale faces. At once, Booth had feared the worst, but Cam had stepped up and told Booth exactly what she herself had been told; that Brennan's office was blown up. Booth was relieved, but not any bit as calm as the rest of them.

"You know it might not even be that bad, it's only her office." Angela was trying to lighten the mood to no avail.

"It is only her office Ange, but we have to think about the bigger picture. I mean first it's Bones nearly dying, then her office is targeted and blown to bits…"

"Wait I thought Cam said it was chunks and smoldering pieces." Max interrupted, a small smile on his face.

"Max, be serious here, it's your god damn _daughter!_" Booth was yelling now and attracting looks from the nurses.

"I know that Booth, you think I'm stupid? But I also know that my Tempey is in the safest place she can be right now, in a secured hospital with a fiercely protective FBI agent watching over her. So it's no use worrying over her office. I think we can leave this to someone else… for now at least. Why don't we be happy that Tempe is even _alive_ right now?"

"I agree with Max on that one, Booth." Hodgins chimed in receiving a proud grin from Max. Hodgins was glad at least he had _one_ father he was on good terms with.

"Fine, we'll forget about it for now." Booth said grumpily, receiving a look from Angela, "What?"

"_You_ will forget about it for now Booth. We will do what we always do in situations like this, and see what we can find out." Angela replied, with a smug smile on her face, "Just try not to leak the info to her ok?"

"Ok Ange, thanks." Booth flashed a charming smile at the nurses, who were looking relieved he'd quietened down.

"And what am I supposed to do? Something exciting?" Max looked hopeful.

"No Max, you're staying right here, I don't want you anywhere near a crime scene." Booth grabbed Max by the shoulder and dragged him into a chair.

"Well, it's not like I want to watch one of your emotional scenes with my daughter, that's something I prefer to stay out of thankyou." Max's hopefulness was diminished, now replaced with something he wasn't looking forward to.

"They're not _that_ emotional…" Booth tried to cover for himself as he was the recipient of raised eyebrows.

Twenty minutes later Booth was standing outside Brennan's room watching Max talk to his now awake daughter. She looked weak, but small smiles were forming on her face at some of the things he said.

Booth caught her looking at him from the doorway and she smiled.

"I'm going to get some coffee, talk to Booth for a while, he hasn't stopped worrying about you." Max exclaimed to is daughter as he walked toward the door.

Brennan just nodded silently, and looked toward Booth as he walked to her bedside and sat down in the cushioned chair. For a while they just sat in silence, until Brennan was the one to interrupt it.

"Is it true what he said?" She asked in a quiet, croaky murmur.

"Hmm?" Boothh hadn't been expecting his partner to come right out and say it.

"That you never stopped worrying." Brennan had the tiniest of smiles on her face.

"Yes that's true, Bones I nearly lost you, of course I was worried. We all were, we're the centre and without you it won't ever be whole." Booth was holding onto her hand, now clutching his and trying to convey some deep passion through his gaze.

"Booth…" Brennan croaked out, her voice scratchy, "Thank you, the first person I saw when I woke up was you… thank you."

"You're welcome Bones." Booth replied softly, gently stroking her forehead as she closed her eyes.

For a while Booth sat there next to her, watching his partner sleep. Her face no longer had a blank, starched look, it looked more alive. He was glad, for the most part, glad this time she was going to wake up from her sleep.

**Ugh, this is so short! anyway, please review? Pretty please? :)**


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